


Aftermath

by gemzies



Series: Shake-Ups and Surprises [1]
Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, I'll probably add more tags later but this covers the gist of it, Implied Sexual Content, Life on the Road, M/M, Superstar Shake-up, a little fluff thrown in, domestic life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2020-01-23 13:56:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18551161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gemzies/pseuds/gemzies
Summary: Seth and Finn deal with the aftermath of the 2019 "Superstar Shake-Up" and finding themselves on different brands for the first time since their relationship started - from receiving the unexpected news in Montreal and through the following weekend where everything would change.





	1. Plans Change

The smile slowly faded from Seth’s face as he made his way back through the curtain. He was surprised he’d managed to keep it on as long as he had, if he was being honest with himself. It was the third week in a row they’d closed out a Raw taping that way, with the Shield standing in the ring giving somewhat of a speech after the cameras were off, but it didn’t make it any easier. Especially with the knowledge looming over his head that tonight in Montreal was the last time it would happen. Making it into the gorilla position and moving far enough to be out of the way, he took the Universal Championship he’d held on his shoulder and placed it on one of the small tables in the room. He fished a hair tie out from under his wrist wrap, and quickly threw the frizzy mess his long curls had become into a bun before turning to face his friends.

He gave Dean fist bump, and then reached out to give Roman a quick hug. “Go kill it tomorrow,” he muttered as the embrace ended, trying to keep the weight of the moment from getting to him. With Roman Reigns heading to Smackdown the following night, and Dean Ambrose leaving the company the at the end of the week, this was the last time the three of them would be together at WWE Raw for who-knows-how-long. He shook the thought out of his head, reminding himself that they still had a few more house shows together, and then he grabbed his title belt and headed towards the locker rooms.

His face began to lighten as he got close to his designated dressing room, and a small smile spread across his lips in anticipation. _At least I’ve still got this,_ he thought as he threw the door open. “Hey, babe...” He started, but his voice trailed off and he stopped in the doorway at the sight in front of him. Confusion filled his mind as he looked around the room. His clothes and bags were still where he left them, but that was all that was there – the other set of bags that should have been next to his own were gone, as was the person he had been expecting to find there waiting for him.

“Ay, Rollins! Catch!” he heard someone call from behind him, and he spun around just in time to grab the set of keys that came flying at him before they hit him in the face.

“Very funny, Bex,” he said with a scowl as he heard the familiar sound of Becky Lynch's raspy laughter drift towards him. The confusion from a moment before returned quickly, however, as he examined the projectile he was now holding. “Becky, how did you get the keys to my rental car?”

The orange-haired woman walked over to Seth, and gently placed her hand on his shoulder. Becky must have sensed the panic threatening the edges of his voice, because her response was uncharacteristically soft. “Finn asked me to give them to you, said Sami was going to drop him off at the hotel on his way home,” she explained, and it took Seth a moment to remember that Sami Zayn was originally from Montreal. “He said wasn’t feeling well. He didn’t look all that great, to be honest with you.”

Seth frowned. Finn hadn’t mentioned anything about feeling unwell, and for all intents and purposes he had seemed fine before the show. He’d appeared to be doing great, in fact, practically bouncing into the arena when they’d arrived much to Seth’s amusement. However even if he was unwell it wasn’t like Finn to just take off like that, and Seth felt the worry beginning to swirl around his stomach as he thought about it.

Becky squeezed his shoulder before removing her hand. “I’m sure he’s fine, Seth. Probably still just a bit off from ‘Mania or something. You know the Demon thing always takes a bit out of him.”

Seth gave a small smile, appreciative of her attempts to reassure him even if it wasn’t working. “What are you still doing here, anyway?” The rest of the talent had taken off before the main event, either to catch a flight or to try and get some sleep before Smackdown the following night.

Becky’s smile faded as she brushed some of her long hair back out of her face. “Waiting for Bayley, I’m riding with her tonight. Hunter wanted to talk to her after what happened with Sasha last week.”

Seth nodded. He felt terrible for Sasha and Bayley. WWE always did their best to keep established couples together during the annual “Superstar Shake-Up”, but it was never guaranteed. To say Sasha had taken the news that they were moving to different brands badly would be the understatement of the year, and while Bayley appeared to be doing alright, he could guess she wasn’t handling things much better behind closed doors. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what they must be going through. Letting out a sigh, he bid goodnight to Becky before finally gathering his things and heading to the hotel.

\-----

Seth opened the door to his hotel room to find Finn Bálor sitting on the edge of the bed. He was still fully dressed, his coat and bag left lazily beside the entryway. Finn didn’t acknowledge the door opening as Seth entered the room at all. Just continued sitting there, head down, seemingly staring at the Intercontinental Championship belt he held in his hands.

“Finn?” he called softly as he closed the door behind him. The older man rubbed a hand across his eyes quickly before looking up at him, and Seth’s stomach dropped as he met his lover’s eyes. Finn’s pale blue eyes were rimmed bright red, and wet streaks shined across the parts of his cheeks that his beard didn’t cover. It was clear that he’d been crying for quite a while, and Seth threw his jacket off to the side and knelt down in front of him. “Babe, what’s wrong?” he questioned, reaching up and taking Finn’s hands into his own.

Finn had to take a couple of deep breaths before he could respond. “They… they’ve changed their mind,” he finally replied. His voice was shaky, and his eyes drifted back down towards the white leather strap across his lap as he continued. “With the Fox deal coming up, they want the Intercontinental title on Smackdown.” His accent was thicker than usual, a product of his emotions, and the Irishman blinked a few times to try and control himself.

It took Seth a second to process what Finn had said. “Wait, so they’re going to take the belt off you _again_?” he asked incredulously. Finn had only carried the title for three weeks before they had him drop it the first time, he couldn’t believe they would seriously have him lose the title again after only a week.

Finn shook his head. He took another deep breath and closed his eyes, grasping Seth’s hands so tightly it was as if his life suddenly depended on it. Seth could feel the splash against his wrist as tears hit the gold plates on the title.

“Then what...” Seth froze as the realization of what Finn was telling him slammed into him like a freight train. “No. No way.”

Finn swallowed hard, eyes still shut tight. “They’re letting me finish up my advertised dates through Sunday, because they want the title defended on that livestream thing they’re doing for you and the guys in Moline.” His voice started to crack, and he finally opened his eyes to look down at Seth as he continued. “I’m joining the Smackdown loop in Sioux City on Monday.”

Whatever fragile pillar had been holding Finn together shattered like glass. He collapsed off the bed and onto Seth’s lap, knocking him backwards off his knees and onto his rear with a hard thud. But Seth didn’t notice the pain. All he could feel was his own heart breaking as Finn’s hands desperately clutched the back of his t-shirt, and the wetness spreading across the front of it as his boyfriend buried his face into his chest while he cried.

“I’m sorry,” Finn near-whispered between sobs, his voice weak as he fell apart in Seth’s arms. “I’m so sorry, love, I’m sorry…”

Seth wrapped his arm around Finn’s back and pulled him as tight against him as he could. His other arm moved upwards, and he gently carded his fingers through his short, brown hair. “Shhh,” he whispered, leaning down and placing a gentle kiss on the top of Finn’s head. As he moved back again his eyes landed on the title belt as it lay discarded next to the bottom of the bed, the well-deserved prize now the cause of so much guilt and pain, and he felt his own eyes begin to sting with emotion. “You have nothing to apologize for, babe. Don’t you dare blame yourself for this.” He tried to put as much love as he could into the words as he spoke, closing his eyes and continuing to try to comfort his love while silently crumbling himself.

\-----

Seth awoke the next morning to the smell of coffee and the low sound of someone speaking. He stretched, groaning silently as he looked at the clock on the nightstand and saw the ungraciously early hour staring back at him. Shifting slowly to lean on his elbow, he rubbed his eyes to try and wake himself up and took a quick survey of the room. He spotted Finn sitting at the desk in the corner, appearing to still be in just his boxers, one hand holding his phone to his ear and the other holding a pen. He let himself simply sit and gaze at the man he loved, taking in every muscle and line that he could see through the back of the chair as if it was the last time he’d get the chance. Maybe it was.

They’d sat on the floor together for what felt like hours the night before, holding each other tight until Finn practically passed out in his arms. The combination of emotion and exhaustion had drained the smaller man until he had nothing left, and as he felt the breath against his chest shallow and even out Seth finally allowed himself to shed a few tears of his own. He gently lifted Finn up and carried him to his usual side of the bed, careful not to wake him as he laid him down and removed his clothes, then watched with a sad smile at how unintentionally adorable Finn looked as he curled up in a ball under the blanket Seth placed on top of him. Then he’d gone about getting the room together, moving their bags from where they’d been unceremoniously dumped by the door over to their normal location in the corner and placing both of their toiletry bags by the sink, before stripping off his own clothes and joining Finn in bed.

With a muffled yawn, Seth quietly got up and grabbed a pair of sweatpants out of his bag. He put them on and helped himself to a small Styrofoam cup of coffee from the machine on the counter by the sink, frowning slightly as he noticed the pot hadn’t been touched since it finished brewing.

“Would you mind repeating that number just in case?” Finn said to the voice on the phone, the hand holding the pen moving along the page in time to whatever he was hearing. Seth leaned against the bathroom door and took a sip of his coffee as he observed. He could see the side of Finn’s face clearly from this vantage point, and the swirling in his stomach from the night before returned as he saw how swollen the man’s eyes were from his tears, the bright sapphire color standing out in brilliant contrast to the red that still lingered. “Thank you, I think I have it. I appreciate your help.” Seth noticed the unusual rasp in his voice, the way the words came out feeling heavy instead of how full of light he normally found Finn’s baritone. “Cheers, thanks again… yep… goodbye.” Finn sighed as he hung up and placed the phone down, his head coming to rest on his hand as he again looked over the paper in front of him.

Seth placed his coffee on the nightstand and walked over to where Finn sat. Coming up behind him, he wrapped his arms around the older man’s shoulders and bent down to place a small kiss on his cheek. “’Mornin’, babe.”

Finn hummed as a small smile spread across his face, leaning back into the embrace and placing his hands on top of Seth’s. “Good morning, love,” he replied, turning his head towards Seth in a silent request for another kiss. Seth obliged, meeting his lips gently. “What are you doing up so early?” Finn asked as they parted, turning to check the time on his phone as Seth rested his head on his shoulder. “Don’t have to be at the airport for hours, I figured you’d sleep until I had to drag your arse out of bed.”

Seth huffed a small laugh before giving a simple shrug for an answer. He turned and nuzzled into Finn’s neck briefly before asking a similar question of his own. “How long have you been awake?”

Finn’s shoulders dropped. Sighing, he moved one of his hands up to Seth’s face and began lightly rubbing his thumb over his beard. “Few hours, I think,” he replied with a yawn. “Couldn’t fall back to sleep, so I figured I’d go ahead and try to get all of the travel changes sorted.” Though he tried to keep his tone as even as possible, Seth could hear the hint of sadness that colored the edges of the words. “I was able to get a red-eye out after the show tonight, so I’ll be home before you know it.”

Even without being able to fully see it, Seth could tell that the smile that graced Finn’s lips with that last sentence didn’t reach his eyes. He chose not to press the issue, choosing instead to continue the attempt at normalcy and offering a half-hearted smile of his own. “Breakfast?” he questioned with a squeeze and was almost relieved when Finn hummed the affirmative, knowing all too well that Finn tended to lose his appetite when he was upset. “Maybe some cucumber slices, too, to take care of those eyes of yours,” he teased, playfully poking Finn’s cheek.

“Hey!” Finn responded with a huff, lightly backhanding Seth in the ribs before turning again to look at him. “You’re not exactly a shining pillar of rest and happiness yourself, you know,” he chided, raising his eyebrows as he looked Seth up and down.

Seth chuckled. “Sure, but I’m not the one who has to appear on tv again tonight.”

Finn groaned, pulling out of Seth’s arms and leaning forward until his forehead landed on the wood in front of him. “Oh God, don’t remind me,” he spat, not moving his head from the desk.

Seth laughed again, but softer this time. He placed a hand on each of Finn’s shoulders and squeezed a few times, feeling some of the tension that had been resting in the toned muscles slip away with the impromptu massage. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on the back of Finn’s neck. “Come on, I’ll call for room service,” he said, lovingly giving his shoulders another squeeze before letting go and starting to walk over to the phone. “You might want to think about putting some pants on before it gets here, though.”

Seth jumped with a yelp as he felt the pen Finn threw at him hit his shoulder blade, and as the sound of the Irishman’s laugh hit his ears he found himself wearing the first genuine smile he’d had since he was in the ring the previous evening.


	2. Hitting Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seth tried his best to be strong for Finn the night they found out about his move to Smackdown. Now, in the early hours of the morning the day of the show in Moline, Finn tries to return the favor.

Finn ran a hand over his face as he carefully eased himself out of bed, trying hard not to make too much of a disturbance. He and Seth had had a few drinks when they’d arrived at the house that night after the 3-hour drive from Springfield, an unusual affair since neither of them usually chose to drink when they had a show the following day. It was in part to celebrate being able to sleep in their own bed while in the middle of a loop, an occurrence so rare it only came about two or three times a year despite them having residences in both Iowa and Florida. But if he was being honest with himself, it was mostly to push away any thoughts of the emotional hurricane the following night would bring.

While he didn’t mind a beer every now and then, and he _definitely_ didn’t mind what those beers had led to (though it had taken them an embarrassingly long time to clean up the kitchen afterwards in their giggly inebriated states), Finn silently cursed himself for drinking so many beers as he plodded his way to the bathroom at 3am.

After finishing up and washing his hands, he walked back into the bedroom and stopped abruptly in the middle of the room. As his eyes again adjusted to the dark he noticed that the bed he’d so cautiously gotten out of a few minutes prior was empty, and a pang of guilt ran through him for a second at the thought of having woken his boyfriend up after they’d gone to bed so late in the first place. He placed a hand on Seth’s pillow and found it cool to the touch, and the guilty feelings slowly turned to concern as his still sleepy brain realized that side of the bed hadn’t been occupied for a while.

Finn quietly made his way out of the bedroom and down the hall. He noticed the dim light emanating from the living room, but chose to go through the kitchen instead of walking in there straight away. The last thing he wanted to do was wake Seth up if he’d fallen asleep out there, nor did he want to scare the daylights out of him by accidentally sneaking up on him from behind. He walked over to the refrigerator and paused to peek into the other room, and a sad sigh escaped his lips as he spotted Seth.

Seth was sitting on the couch, seemingly wide awake, looking down at something in his hands. A plastic tub sat in the middle of the room, and he recognized it as one of the ones he’d seen down in the basement for storage when he had first started living with the younger man. Finn’s heart ached as he found himself wondering if Seth had gotten any sleep at all.

He opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water, more for the sound to let Seth know he was there than because he was thirsty. Seth looked up to meet his eyes as he walked into the room, and Finn’s heart ached even more as he saw the sadness hiding in the doe-like eyes he’d always found so amazing. “Hey,” he greeted quietly as he made his way to Seth, offering him the bottle of water as he sat down on the back of the couch behind him. “What’re you doing up so late?”

Seth accepted the water with a nod. “Thinking,” he answered simply, removing the cap and taking a gulp before placing it on the coffee table in front of him. He looked back up at Finn briefly before again looking down at the black garment he held.

Finn shook his head, a thin smile across his lips despite the worry he felt. “Alright, scoot,” he ordered, lightly shoving Seth to the side to get him to move. He took the small smile he received in return as a triumph, and once Seth had moved far enough, he squeezed himself down between him and the arm of the couch. He held his arm out, and despite being the taller of the two Seth shuffled down to lean his head against Finn’s chest and shoulder. Finn removed the elastic from Seth’s hair before resting his arm back on the couch, slowly running his fingers through the dark mane and eliciting a sigh from his lover. He leaned his cheek against the top of Seth’s head. “What’s going on in that beautiful brain of yours, love?” he questioned softly.

Seth sighed again. “I found this last week when I went down to grab the drill so I could fix that shelf,” he replied slowly, lifting the garment to reveal a somewhat tattered-looking Kevlar vest. “It’s the original. My first Shield vest.” Finn could hear Seth swallow as he put it back down on his lap. “I stopped wearing it because I thought it was going to fall apart, but… but I think I want to wear it tonight. It… it kinda feels appropriate, you know?”

Finn nodded. “You’re going to miss them, aren’t you?” It wasn’t a question so much as a statement, but phrased in a way he hoped would prompt Seth to open up a little. He understood how much Dean and Roman meant to Seth, not just to his career but in all facets of his life, even if he never really expressed it with words. Relationships so special he would protect them with all his heart, sometimes to his own detriment. A brotherhood in every sense of the word.

Seth sniffled, his fingers running lines along the frayed edge of the vest in his lap. “It doesn’t feel quite real yet,” he admitted, his voice heavy with the weight the words carried. “Like… they’ve always just been there. Not just since our debut, but before that. Since NXT, and that fucking FCW warehouse in Tampa. I’ve never known WWE without Dean and Roman.” He paused, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. “I don’t think it will really sink in until Monday, when I show up to Raw and they’re not there.” Seth shifted a little so he could look up into Finn’s eyes, reaching out and grabbing Finn’s free hand in one of his own. “When I show up to Raw on Monday and _you’re_ not there.”

Finn had to swallow to keep his composure when he heard how utterly _broken_ Seth sounded. He opened his mouth, willing any sort of comforting word to appear, but Seth continued before he could speak.

“You know,” he started, settling his head back against Finn’s chest, his thumb gently rubbing over the top of Finn’s hand. “When I found out Dean was leaving, it sucked. And then the night after Wrestlemania when Roman told me about his move to Smackdown, it was weird and it just felt so wrong.” Seth’s breath was shaky, and Finn could feel the tears as they slid down his boyfriend’s cheeks and landed on his own skin. “But I kept telling myself that everything would be fine, because at least I’d have you.” He paused, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. “Even if they were gone, I’d have you. I’d still have you there with me every night, on the road and in the locker room and wherever the Hell else we’d end up. I’d always have you there beside me.”

Finn felt Seth’s entire body lurch forward as the sobs he’d been trying to tame finally broke free. He wrapped his arms around him as tightly as he could, helpless as all of the emotion Seth had been holding in since Finn’s own breakdown in their hotel earlier in the week finally started to pour out of him. “But I won’t. I won’t have you there. And now I have to walk into that arena alone every night and... I can’t, Finn, I can’t. I can’t do this by myself.” Seth’s body continued to shake in Finn’s arms, his breath now coming quick and ragged. “I can’t do this without you.”

Finn let go of Seth and took the younger man’s face in his hands, gently pulling him away so he could look him in the eye. The utter defeat he found in those big brown eyes damn near destroyed him. “Seth, look at me. Listen to me,” he told him, his tone firm without being harsh, trying to make sure he was heard without making the man feel worse. He softly wiped away some of the tears with his thumbs before leaning down and planting a kiss on Seth’s forehead. “You’re not alone, love. You will never be alone. I won’t let that happen to you.” He searched Seth’s eyes with his own, trying to find any sign that his words were getting through. “I don’t care what show I’m on or what part of the world I’m in,” he continued. His voice was softer now, loving and filled with as much of his heart as he could give him. “If you ever need me, _ever_ , I’ll be there in a heartbeat. I promise.” He let go of Seth’s face and again wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close against his body as his hand once again started carding through Seth’s hair. “I love you, Seth,” he whispered as he continued to feel the tears land on his chest. “No brand split is going to change that.”

The two of them sat like that for quite some time, with Finn trying his best to reassure Seth as he finally allowed himself to melt down. Eventually Seth’s panicked breathing began to return to normal, still a bit rough but even at least. Finn held on an extra few minutes before he slowly released Seth and stood up. He reached down and gently removed the vest from his boyfriend’s lap, carefully and lovingly placing it back in its container with all the same care he knew Seth would take.

When he was finished putting the lid back on the container he stood up and walked over to the switch to turn off the lights. Then he turned back to Seth, stretching his arm out slowly to ask for his hand. He was glad that Seth gave it willingly, allowing himself to be pulled up from his seat and slowly led back to their room. Finn tucked Seth into bed with a loving smile and a kiss on the cheek before climbing in and curling up behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist. He held on just tight enough to let Seth know he was there, his breath lightly landing on Seth’s shoulder, continuing to try and show him as best he could that he wasn’t alone until they both finally fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started this thinking it would be a one-shot, then maybe 2-3 chapters, and now it's kind of taken on a life of it's own. I hope everyone enjoys the ride as much as I'm enjoying writing it!


	3. Domestic Distractions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn and Seth try to keep things as normal as possible the morning of the show in Moline, but neither of them can help the emotions that keep creeping in when they think of what that night will bring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff. So much fluff. With a tiny bit of the sads lurking in the background.

_*bzzz*… *bzzz*…*bzzz*…_

The sound of plastic vibrating against wood slowly brought Seth out of his slumber. He hadn’t moved since he’d fallen asleep the night before, lying on his side with his knees slightly bent and a familiar pair of strong arms lightly locked around his waist. The only difference was now Finn’s leg was also draped over him almost protectively. Seth smiled as he realized, not for the first time, how safe he felt in the other man’s embrace.

The buzzing sound started again, and Seth felt weight shifting behind him as Finn also began to stir. “For the love of God, answer your phone,” he muttered, turning and burying his face in his pillow.

Finn snorted, and then moved so that his cheek was resting against the side of Seth’s neck. Seth shivered despite himself as he felt Finn’s breath against his ear, earning himself another soft laugh. “Nuh uh, hero. I left mine on the kitchen counter last night.” Finn turned his head and placed a feather-light kiss on Seth’s cheek before again settling against his neck. “That’s all you.”

Seth carefully rolled so he was on his back, scooting up a little until his head was leaned against the headboard, and the smaller man moved himself so he was now tucked under Seth’s arm with his head resting on his chest. He cocked an eyebrow as he looked down at Finn. “Hero?” he inquired with a bemused smirk.

Finn nodded. “Mhmm.” He snuggled a bit closer into Seth’s side before turning his head to face him. “The Quad Cities area is your home, right?” he questioned, and Seth nodded. “So tonight, you’re the Hometown Hero.” Finn could feel the drop in Seth’s mood at the subtle mention of that night’s show despite his short laugh in response. With one quick movement he pushed up off the bed and swung his leg over his boyfriend’s torso, planting himself down on top of him.

Seth’s eyes went wide with surprise as he suddenly found Finn straddling his stomach. In the almost two years they’d been together, and nearly three years since the first time they’d met in the ring, the speed and agility the older man possessed still never ceased to amaze him. The startled look on his face caused a giant smile to spread across his love’s lips, and any remnants of the icy feeling that had started to creep in when he started thinking about what work would bring melted away. His smile was one of Seth’s favorite things about him, so brilliant and full of light that the mood in any room was instantly brighter with its presence.

Finn rested his hands on Seth’s shoulders, and leaned down to meet his lips in a gentle kiss. “I’m so proud of you, love,” he told him, lifting his head just enough to be able to look Seth in the eye as he spoke. His heart swelled at the look of love he found there, and he leaned in again for another - much less gentle - kiss.

“I love you,” Seth uttered breathlessly during a brief pause for air, and the other man simply nipped at his bottom lip in reply. He wrapped his arms around Finn’s back and pulled him back down, tilting his own head up to meet him in sudden desperation for the continued feeling of his lover’s lips against his own.

The irritating sound of the phone ringing yet again caused the moment to come screeching to a halt. Seth let out a frustrated groan as he dropped his head back down against his pillow. “God dammit,” he muttered once he had calmed down enough to speak.

“Your fault for not putting it on silent,” Finn scolded jokingly as he removed himself from on top of Seth, pale skin still slightly flushed as he continued to recover from the heat of the previous moments. Seth shot him half-hearted glare as he sat up, and Finn retaliated by giving him a playful swat on the backside as he started to walk away.

Seth jumped at the unexpected contact. He turned to flip Finn off, visibly trying to contain his laughter as he answered the call and headed out of the room.

Finn’s smile disappeared as soon as Seth was out of sight, replaced with a growing sense of dread. Despite his efforts to keep things light that morning he knew the evening would be rough on both men. He wiped his eyes quickly before getting up so he could start preparing for his road-trip, struggling with his emotions and how surreal it felt to be packing only one suitcase.

\-----

He was caught off-guard when he wandered into the kitchen about an hour later to find Seth standing at the stove. The smell of toast and eggs filled the room, and he noticed a mug filled with coffee waiting for him on the center island. “Well this is a pleasant surprise,” he remarked, walking over and planting a kiss on Seth’s cheek. Seth blushed, and Finn’s heart swelled again. It had taken a very long time for Seth to open up and let his guard down when he and Finn had started dating, having burned and been burned so many times in the past. He would still occasionally try to lock away his feelings, trying so hard to keep things hidden no matter what was going on in his head. As a result, sometimes even the tiniest display of unfiltered emotion always made Finn fill up with happiness.

Seth put down the spatula he’d been holding and turned and gave Finn a small peck on the lips before wrapping his arms around him. “Happy Easter, babe,” he whispered into his ear before pulling back and presenting Finn with a small chocolate bunny.

Finn blinked in surprise but then laughed, a soft smile covering his face as he took the candy from Seth’s hand. With everything going on he’d completely forgotten about the holiday, and seeing that Seth had gone out of his way to surprise him for it made him melt. “Happy Easter,” he replied, kissing Seth again before allowing him to turn back to the pan in front of him. He sat down on one of the stools at the island, grabbing the mug Seth had left for him. “You know, I must be the luckiest man on the planet,” he said as he took a sip.

Seth blushed again as he began putting the food onto plates. “Nope,” he countered with a shake of his head. He grabbed silverware out of a drawer and placed it on the island, and then reached out and grabbed Finn’s hand and brought it to his lips. “I am.”

This time it was Finn’s turn to blush. Seth cackled as he brought the plates over to the island as the pink colored Finn’s cheeks. The rosy color only deepened as Finn saw what Seth had made. It was simple, avocado toast and eggs, but instead of regular toast he’d provided Finn with a couple of small tortillas in an attempt to be mindful of his diet. A small gesture, maybe, but it still meant a lot to the Irishman.

They ate in comfortable silence for a few moments before Finn finally spoke. “So, what was so urgent this morning that they rang you off the hook like that?” he inquired between bites.

Seth shook his head, taking a sip of his coffee before replying. “It was just Marek. Wanted to know what time everyone was getting to the school and how many people we’re bringing so he could give the shop manager a head’s up.” While he was happy that his business partner was so on top of it, he couldn’t help but still be a little annoyed at his terrible timing. “Definitely not something worth waking us up over.”

Finn hummed. “Looking forward to showing everyone the café?” he asked as he loaded more eggs onto his fork. He knew the answer, but he loved seeing how excited Seth always got when his coffee shop was brought up.

As expected, Seth’s eyes lit up at the question. “Absolutely!” He was extremely proud of his new business. Opening the coffee shop in his hometown was one of his biggest personal accomplishments, and he was thrilled that it was doing so much better than he’d expected. Selfishly, he also loved being able to simply walk next door for a cortado after finishing up his workouts at his wrestling school. The shop was technically closed for Easter, but with that night’s show being a mere 15 minutes away he and the café’s manager had invited the locker room to drop by and check it out. “I can’t wait to see Dean’s face when he tries actual _good_ coffee for a change,” he quipped, taking a sip of his own.

Finn chuckled. Dean’s penchant for cheap coffee was one of few differences between them that Seth had never been able to really understand. Which said a lot, considering just how different the two of them were.

They finished the rest of the meal discussing the plans for the day. Finn insisted on doing the dishes when they were done eating (“It’s the least I can do, love, after you went through all this trouble!”) while Seth took a quick shower. Then they both went about getting their things together so they could head out.

“Are we going to have time to stop back at the house after we leave the shop?” Finn called from the bedroom while Seth was kneeling on the floor by the front door, carefully placing the well-worn vest he’d unearthed the night before in the bag that held his ring gear. “Or are we going to head straight to the arena from there?”

Seth sighed, running a hand over his hair. “We might want to plan to leave from there. Just so we don’t have to rush,” he called back. He took a deep breath to steady his emotions as he stood up, but it was for naught as he turned to see Finn dragging his suitcase down the hall towards him. A not-so-subtle reminder of how the night was going to end.

Finn let go of the handle when he made his way to where Seth was standing and placed a hand on either side of taller man’s neck. “Hey, stop that,” he ordered, but his tone was more loving than stern. He reached up and wiped the tear that threatened to fall away from Seth’s eye, and then placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. “Let’s not let tonight ruin today, okay?” he said with a sad smile. “We’ll deal with that when we have to.”

Seth nodded, wrapping his arms around Finn’s small waist and pulling him in for a tight hug. “God, I love you,” he told him for what felt like the umpteenth time that morning.

“I love you, too.” Finn squeezed Seth as tightly as he could before letting him go. He picked up the handle of his suitcase and slung the bag containing his ring gear over his shoulder. “Come on,” he said, opening the door while Seth grabbed his own gear and the car keys. “Let’s go show off all your hard work.”


	4. Davenport and Moline, pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief stop in Davenport, then on to Moline. Everything starts becoming real. Too real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspiration for this chapter came from social media, though I took some liberties with who was where when.

The smile hadn’t left Seth’s face since they’d walked in. It meant a lot to him that so many people had stopped by the coffee shop, not just fellow wrestlers but even some of the touring crew had popped in. That they were all genuinely enjoying the coffee and atmosphere made it even better. He had gone into host-mode almost immediately upon entering, recommending drinks and occasionally hopping behind the bar to help with orders. When Roman, Dean, and Renee Young had walked in Seth had practically pounced, dragging the three of them to the counter and getting to work on something he knew Dean would like.

Finn sat by himself on a small loveseat near the back of the room, sipping a latte and simply observing the goings-on around him. This moment was all about Seth, and Finn was more than content to sit back and watch his love be so in his element around their friends and coworkers.

He saw movement out of the corner of his eye and turned just in time to see Becky plop herself down beside him. “Careful there, lass,” he said, holding his cup out carefully as the cushion under him bounced. “I’d really rather not be wearing my drink.”

Becky just shot him a grin, one that he knew all too well from their over 15 years of friendship. A grin that meant she wasn’t just there for a casual chat. “What, don’t want some color on those black pants of yours?”

Finn raised an eyebrow at her before just shaking his head. “Nah. Not really my style,” he quipped in return.

Becky took a sip of her own drink, and then paused for a second. “How are ya holding up?” she asked him, lightly placing a hand on his leg, brown eyes searching his to make sure he answered honestly. She knew him way too well after all these years. If anyone other than her or Seth asked that question, he’d blow them off and say he was fine. But he knew the two of them would see right through him, no matter how big a smile he plastered across his face.

“I…” he started, not totally sure what to say. “I’m handling it.” He looked down at his lap, biting his lip as he continued looking for the words. “I’ve definitely had my moments,” he confessed, the words coming out a lot more loaded than he’d wanted them to. He shook his head slightly to try and straighten himself out. He felt Becky squeeze his thigh and looked over at her with a thin smile. “But I’m alright for now.”

“Not still blaming yourself for it, are ya?” Becky inquired. She raised her eyebrows at the quizzical look she received for her question. “I know you, Finn,” she stated softly.

Finn glared at her for a second but said nothing. He didn’t have to; his silence was answer enough.

Becky sighed and nodded sympathetically. “How’s Seth taking it?” she asked quietly, almost carefully, not wanting to push Finn too much if he wasn’t up for it.

Finn let out a hard breath. He looked over at his boyfriend, watching for a second as he laughed at something Renee said, taking in how genuinely happy he looked in that moment. Like nothing was different at all. “Not great,” he answered, thinking back on the roller coaster of a night the two of them had. “It’s different for him, though,” he continued, his gaze still on Seth. “I love Seth, and I’m going to miss getting to spend every moment with him the way I have the last two years more than I can say,” he explained. “But for Seth, with the Shield splitting on top of… this,” he said, finding he couldn’t bring himself to actually say the words that described their situation. “He feels like he’s losing everything.” His voice cracked a little as he spoke, heart again aching for his love, and he couldn’t help the brief sadness that passed over his face.

Seth turned and met his eyes, a slight frown forming his lips. Finn shook his head, giving him a thumbs up and forcing a smile to let him know he was okay. Or at least he was going to keep pretending he was okay, even if he knew Seth wouldn’t buy it.

Becky squeezed Finn’s thigh again. “You two will be fine, Finn,” she told him.

Finn nodded, but the movement had no energy behind it. “Yeah. Thanks, Bex,” he said as Becky stood up and began to walk away, a tiny smile forming despite himself as he heard the distinct sound of Seth’s cackling laugh again soaring above the din of the room.

\-----

Seth turned the car off and then slumped back in his seat. He stared at the arena in front of him for a moment, and as he heard the sound of Finn taking off his seatbelt he sighed. “I noticed you didn’t eat anything at the shop earlier,” he remarked, turning his head to look at the man sitting in the passenger seat next to him.

Finn froze, hand on the door, but didn’t turn around to look at Seth. He knew where this conversation was heading, and couldn’t bring himself to face the concern he knew he’d find waiting in Seth’s eyes. “Wasn’t hungry,” he replied simply. There was a bit of an edge to his voice, not anger necessarily but still something, and he hoped it would be enough to get the conversation dropped. It wasn’t.

Seth shook his head. “Finn,” he demanded, his voice soft.

Finn took a deep breath, and then forced himself to turn and look Seth in the eyes. “I’m fine, love,” he said with a smile.

Seth gave a tiny puff of a sad laugh, shaking his head again and reaching out to pull Finn into his arms. “You are a horrible liar,” he quipped as Finn gave in and allowed the embrace. “Promise me you’ll eat something before your match, okay?” He plead, worry dripping like rain off every word. “I don’t want to see you pass out in the ring.”

Finn nodded, unable to speak as he buried his head in his lover’s shoulder. The conversation with Becky earlier had brought everything back to the front of his mind, and their arrival at the arena had done nothing but drive it all home.

Seth rubbed the back of Finn’s head lightly. “Thank you.” They sat like that for another few moments, before Seth let go and grabbed the keys out of the SUV’s ignition. “Come on. Let’s get this over with,” he sighed as he opened the door and got out of the car.

It took Finn a moment or two to regain his composure before he was able to follow Seth out of the vehicle. Seth already had their bags out, and after locking the car he handed the keys over to Finn. Seth’s brother would be giving him a ride home after the show, and Finn would be taking the SUV for the long drive from Moline to Sioux City. Neither of them had been thrilled with the idea originally, and Seth was particularly upset about Finn making that long of a drive by himself that late at night. But Finn had found out about the brand change too late to be able to ask about riding with someone, everyone else who was switching tours after that night had already set their travel plans and he didn’t want to intrude. He was almost looking forward to it now, though – he knew he was probably going to need the time to himself.

They dragged their bags into the building and went about finding their locker room, getting everything settled before heading out towards the ring. They hadn’t gone too far when Seth suddenly stopped. “Crap,” he muttered, looking down at his watch. He saw the look on Finn’s face when he turned around, and quickly shook his head to try and relieve the panic. “No, it’s nothing. I just forgot about an interview they want me to do for the build to the show.”

Finn didn’t relax much despite Seth’s reassurance. Instead, his face contorted from concern back to the deflated sadness he’d tried to hide earlier. “They’ve got you busy tonight, don’t they?” he asked quietly. “Between interviews and rehearsals and everything else, I don’t know that we’re going to see each other until the show is over.” He swallowed as he spoke, frustration mixing its way into the cocktail that made up his emotions. He knew he was being selfish, but he hated that their final show together on the same schedule was one that was going to eat up so much of Seth’s time, even though the only reason Finn was still on the show was because it was a special event _for_ Seth and his friends. But he didn’t care at that point. All he wanted was to hide in their locker room, Seth’s strong arms wrapped around him, for as long as possible. Realizing they weren’t going to have any time together at all before they had to leave was starting to eat at him.

Seth bit his lip. “Yeah,” he responded. He wasn’t really sure what to say, if there even was anything he could say, to make the situation better. “I’m sorry, babe.”

“Don’t be sorry, Seth,” Finn responded quickly, looking up at Seth and shaking his head. “Tonight’s an important night for you, love, don’t be sorry about that.” He studied Seth’s face for a moment, noting the way he was biting his lips, the mixed emotions floating through his eyes, how tired he suddenly looked despite how alive he’d looked at the café not even an hour earlier. “I’ll be waiting for you in the locker room after your match,” he said with a loving smile.

“Not in gorilla?”

The sadness in Seth’s reply took Finn by surprise, and he raised his eyebrows at the request. “Do you want me in gorilla?” he asked, crossing his arms and looking deep into Seth’s eyes.

“I…” Seth started to answer, looking down at his feet. “We shouldn’t be having this conversation here,” he muttered with a heavy sigh.

Finn was confused by the abrupt end to their talk. “Huh? Why not?” he sputtered, dropping his arms. They were alone as far as he knew, and it was far from the first time they’d had a semi-private conversation in the hallways of a random arena over the years.

Seth looked up from the floor and into Finn’s eyes. “Well for one, the last thing either of us need right now is to start crying in public,” he joked, his eyes still sad but twinkling a bit. “Secondly,” he continued, raising a finger to his lips as if to shush Finn as he turned his head a bit to the side. “There’s someone from the website over there taking our picture.”

Finn turned around so he could see where Seth was looking. Sure enough, a photographer was standing about a hundred feet away, barely attempting to hide behind a couple of crates. He turned back and looked Seth in the eyes again. “Text me what you decide, alright?” he asked in order to avoid leaving things hanging, his voice soft to try to hide how shaky he was starting to feel.

Seth nodded, clapping Finn on the shoulder briefly in a small show of affection before running back towards their locker room.

Finn watched Seth go for a moment before turning and walking over to the photographer. “Hey mate, do you think you could send me some of those?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will bring the pain, and I apologize in advance.


	5. Moline, pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During and after the show in Moline. Seth and Finn finally come face to face with all of their built-up emotions, as the Shield closes it's last chapter and Finn has to leave for the next show without Seth at the end of the night.

Seth smiled and shook his head as he saw the twitter notification on his lock screen. He had almost finished getting ready for his match that night and had managed to find a moment to check his phone after walking over to the locker room Dean and Roman were sharing.

He felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder and looked up to find Dean now sitting beside him. “What’s up, loverboy posting thirst traps again?” Dean asked him, dark blue eyes filled with mischief.

Seth groaned. _I wish,_ he thought as he pulled up the tweet in question to show Dean. “We were paparazzi’d while talking in the hall earlier. Figures he’d ask the dude for the pictures,” he explained. The picture in question was taken right before Seth put his finger to his lips, his hand in his pocket and a somewhat distant look on his face. Finn was captured at an angle where you could only see his profile, emotions on his face hidden, the muscles in his arm visible as the sleeve on his blue shirt was curled up a little from taking his jacket off as they walked.

If Seth was honest with himself, he was starting to hate that shirt. And Finn’s blue ring gear along with it. It had started as a joke; releasing a new shirt in the WWE online store and getting new gear made in that specific shade of blue to tease the fans, and Seth had loved it when he first saw it. He’d always loved how Finn looked in blue – the way the color made his eyes stand out, made them look even bluer and brighter if it was possible, beautiful crystal oceans he was more than willing to drown in. But now it all just reminded him of the brand split.

Dean took a glance at the picture and then looked at Seth, almost as if he was comparing the two. “You good?” he inquired.

Seth looked at the picture again, saved it to his camera roll, then sighed and put his phone away. “Yeah,” he replied slowly. “For now, at least.” He wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth or not, he wasn’t sure of anything he was feeling at that point. Too much and nothing all at once.

Dean simply nodded and gave Seth a lopsided smile before getting up so he could finish getting ready himself.

Seth grabbed the vest off the bench next to him, running a finger along the bottom edge briefly before checking to see if he’d remembered to loosen the straps on the side. Even after they’d all split off into their own dressing rooms, they had always made sure to put on the vests together. It was part of their routine, a sacred moment they shared as they got into Shield-mode. He took a deep breath and threw it over his shoulders, standing and heading over towards the mirror so he could adjust everything and make sure it was tight enough to not come off or injure him in the ring.

“Hey, Seth,” Roman called from behind him. “Finn does know his match is televised tonight, right?”

Seth turned a bit and continued fussing with the tattered vest. “Huh? Yeah, of course he does. Why?”

“Your boy just grabbed a mic.”

“Wait, WHAT?” Seth exclaimed, spinning around and almost sprinting to where Roman was standing to look at the monitor. His jaw was practically on the floor as Roman picked up the remote and turned the volume up, and as Dean came to join them, he shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t fucking believe it,” he muttered, completely bewildered.

It was not unusual for Finn to grab a mic at a house show when he was facing Elias. The two of them had gone viral a couple months prior for singing a duet on the song “Shallow”, from A Star Is Born, something that Seth had teased Finn about mercilessly after discovering they’d ended up on TMZ for it (“Come on, babe, sing me to sleep?”… “Fuck you, Seth”). Just two days prior, in St. Louis, he’d gotten in the ring and sang Nelly’s “Dilemma” with Elias and left Seth and the rest of the locker room in hysterics. But he’d always said it was something he’d never do on TV, that it was just a fun thing for the smaller crowds in the arenas. So, seeing him standing in the middle of the ring during a WWE Network special asking Elias to sing with him… it was blowing Seth’s mind.

_“When I say Elias sucks, you say ‘Yes, he does!’”_

Seth, Dean, and Roman all burst out in loud laughter as Finn sang the mocking words to Elias. “Oh my God, my boyfriend is a dork,” Seth gasped through his giggles, face turning red as he watched Finn purposely trying to sound like he couldn’t sing, smiling at how ridiculous the whole thing was as Elias began beating Finn down to start the action. “I can’t fucking believe it,” he said again with a wheeze as he caught his breath, the smile still splashed across his face.

Roman looked over at Seth, a grin playing across the Samoan’s own face. “I can, Uce,” he said, giving Seth a playful pat on the back. “How often have you laughed like that lately?” he quizzed.

Understanding dawned on Seth, and his heart threatened to burst from mixture of love and other emotions that filled him. “Finn just made an ass of himself on live tv to make me laugh,” he thought out loud, and Roman gave him a wink and another pat on the back before walking off to grab his own vest, leaving Seth and Dean there to watch the rest of Finn’s match.

\-----

Finn sighed as he entered his locker room. His match had been alright for the most part, short and sweet like any other house show match and the crowd had been great. But the finish was botched, and that was all he could think about. He took pride in every match, and even at a non-televised event he worked hard to make sure all the spots went off as planned. To have someone screw it up at the very end of a televised match was going to drive him crazy.

His mood soured even further when he remembered he was alone. Seth had gone off with Dean and Roman, and at that point in the night were probably headed up through the hallways of the arena to get ready for their entrance. Finn threw his leather ring jacket on top of his bags, then turned on the monitor in the room and adjusted the volume so he wouldn’t miss anything before dropping himself down on the bench and putting his head in his hands.

This was something he was going to have to get used to. Coming back to the locker room after a botch, or a bad match or bad crowd, or after having to put up with the ridiculous booking he kept ending up with, only to be by his lonesome. No pillar there to hold him up, no pillow to break his fall. No Seth. No one to hold him as he ranted, help rebuild his confidence if it was shaken, no loving doe eyes and goofy grin waiting for him when he got there. He wasn’t sure he could handle it.

He took a deep breath and glanced up at the monitor to see what was going on, and then grabbed for his phone. A flood of notifications greeted him – likes from his friends on Instagram and twitter, and then a string of text notifications from Seth. Finn opened the messages quickly, and a grin appeared when he saw what he’d been sent.

_“Alright, songbird, you got me. Thank you.”_

_“Good match. Nice save on the finish, you’ll have to tell me who’s fault that was later.”_

_“Btw, Dean threatened to kill you if you had fallen onto the announce table. And then threatened to dismember you after killing you if you touched Renee while falling onto the announce table.”_

_“I’ll meet you in the locker room after my match. I love you.”_

Finn chuckled as he read the text about Dean, and let it fade to a soft smile as he read the last one. He knew Seth would want to have that moment in gorilla just be the three of them, even if Seth himself wasn’t so sure. He understood how much it would mean to him.

The smile slowly started to slip off his face as he put his phone down and turned to face the monitor. As he heard the Shield’s entrance music the remnants of the smile disappeared completely, replaced by the sting of tears as the gravity of the night finally hit him in full force.

\-----

Seth climbed up onto the apron, selling exhaustion but every bone in his body was tingling with anticipation. They’d just gone into the finish of the match, and the adrenaline was flowing hot like lava through his veins. He watched, trying in vain to hide the emotion that wanted to poke through, as Dean planted Baron Corbin with a final Dirty Deeds before hyping up the crowd and tagging in Roman. Roman then turned and tagged Seth in, and he felt like he was going to explode as he leapt into the ring for the Triple Powerbomb. Down to the mat went Corbin and he scrambled to make the cover, the crowd near-deafening as the hometown boy got the three-count. And suddenly it was over.

_“Here are your winners, the team of Dean Ambrose, the Universal Champion Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns – The Shield!”_

He stood up, the referee handing him his title belt, and as he stood in the middle of the ring Seth’s eyes began to burn. _Don’t cry, Rollins. For fuck’s sake, don’t cry,_ he told himself repeatedly as he tried desperately to hold himself together while the weight of what had just happened threatened to tear him to shreds. He’d cried so many times over the past few weeks he was surprised he still had any tears left to shed – from tears of joy while he and Finn celebrated their Wrestlemania wins and then crying with laughter as he ran to the showers so no one would see him covered in Finn’s paints, to the quiet moments of sadness that would slip out when he let himself think of how different his world was about to become, and his emotional collapse the night before when everything finally hit him. He didn’t need to cry anymore, he told himself. Especially there in the ring with his brothers, with so many of his loved ones in the audience and a specific love watching on a monitor backstage.

He found himself going through the motions, climbing up onto the turnbuckle so he could lift the Universal Championship high in front of his hometown, but he didn’t feel the joy that he’d always imagined that moment would hold in his mind. He’d held the top prize before, had brought the WWE Championship to shows in the area when he’d held it, but it was very different when he was a heel trying to get boos out of even his biggest supporters. He’d dreamed of being the top babyface, of bringing a top title to his hometown and getting the hero’s welcome, since he was a toddler. And now here he was, the face of WWE Raw, holding the Universal Championship he’d been chasing since it was unveiled three years prior, and he felt… he felt nothing. His head was filled with so many different, conflicting emotions that for a few brief moments he couldn’t feel anything at all.

Seth grabbed a mic and moved to the middle of the ring, and as Dean continued to sell his post-match exhaustion, he and Roman slowly turned to face him. The crowd erupted, chanting “Thank you Ambrose,” and then “Please don’t go!”, and that was the moment when Seth’s heart finally gave out. He wasn’t sure how he managed to keep it together enough to get words out, how anything he said managed to make sense, or how he was able to stay standing while his knees were shaking like he was in an earthquake. The sadness snuck into his voice, but he was able to keep the wetness pushing at his eyelids at bay long enough to get to words that he would rank as some of the most important he had ever said. “For the last seven years, boys…” he started, swallowing a sob and holding the belt high as he looked both Dean and Roman in the eye. “I love you, I will always love the Shield, and this is for us, man. I couldn’t have done this without you,” he admitted, a statement he’d made privately so many times but wanted to share with the world.

He held his arms out to his brothers, letting himself be enveloped by their warmth and sharing quiet words meant just for them as they embraced. As they parted the crowd started chanting “Thank you Shield,” and whatever string of self-control Seth had been clinging to was practically obliterated. He handed Dean the mic, and as Dean proceeded to put him over in front of his hometown a couple of tears began to fall, and he no longer cared. As Dean went on and talked about Roman’s return from cancer, a couple more tears fell, and he still didn’t care. But as Dean continued to talk, making the statement Seth knew had been waiting to come out for months, Seth pulled himself together just enough to give the fans a smile as they hit the Shield fist-bump for the last time in a ring.

Because to him, the fans deserved that. They deserved to see how much he loved the men he was sharing that ring with and how proud he was of the run they’d had together. How proud he was to be standing in the middle of that ring, in the same arena he’d seen his first ever WWE live event in as a kid, as a champion. They didn’t need to see him falling apart at the seams, no matter how thin the thread holding him together had gotten.

\-----

It felt like ages from the time the cameras turned off until Finn finally heard the door to the locker room creak open. He stood up and faced the door, not even bothering to wipe his eyes or try to calm himself first. He knew it was useless. As Seth entered the room and Finn saw how flushed he was, how his cheeks shone as he turned to close the door behind him, he opened his arms wide.

After he’d shut the door Seth turned and looked into Finn’s reddened eyes, and then simply shattered into pieces. He dropped the vest he’d been holding and fell into Finn’s open arms, his knees finally giving out and dragging both men down onto to the cold linoleum beneath them. The sobs he’d swallowed in the ring poured out of him as he curled up and buried his head in Finn’s neck, holding the Irishman so fiercely it was as if he expected him to vanish the moment he let go. He wasn’t entirely wrong.

Finn rested his forehead on Seth’s shoulder, feeling the wetness spreading on his collar but he was in no condition to console his lover. Both the familiar ache he’d been feeling for what Seth was going through and the sharp stab he felt at the thought that he had to leave him behind that night caused jolts of pain through his heart, each one cracking the already fragile organ further and further. He held Seth as tightly as he could, clutching at him without a care that the sweat still covering Seth from his match was getting all over his clothes. He wanted Seth as close to him as possible.

They sat there, a tangled heap of limbs and tears and emotions, for what felt like hours. The only sound in the room the sound of their ragged breathing, the air heavy with the feelings pouring out of the two of them.

“Please don’t go,” Seth begged, the words coming out in a whisper once he could catch his breath.

Finn swallowed hard, a sob of his own making its way through his body. “I wish I didn’t have to.” His voice was equally as soft and his accent thick as he replied. He moved one of his hands to the back of Seth’s neck, fingers gently moving through the tangled mess of his hair in a failed attempt to comfort both men at once. “God, I wish I didn’t have to,” he repeated.

Seth sniffled. “Promise you’ll call me when you get to Sioux City, okay?” he asked. To Seth’s surprise, he felt Finn shake his head.

“It will be past 5am when I get there, love…” Finn started, the words still soft but filled with resignation.

Seth cut him off. “I don’t care,” he snapped, abruptly pulling out of Finn’s arms and leaving the older man stunned. He placed his hands on Finn’s shoulders, looking him deep in the eye as tears continued rolling down his cheeks. “I don’t care what time it is; you call me when you get to your hotel. Do you understand?” he demanded; concern laced thick through every word. “And if you start falling asleep and need to talk to someone to stay awake, or if you get bored on the road, or for whatever damn reason you call me, okay?” he pulled Finn back into an embrace, one hand tightly wrapped around his waist while the other began carding through his hair. “I love you so much, Finn,” he confessed not for the first time, but the words carried a whole new weight given the circumstances.

Whatever little bit of composure Finn had found broke as he listened to the younger man speak. The combination of Seth’s words and worries just adding more fuel to the fire, piling on top of his already guilt-stricken mind and threatening to burn him alive. “I’ll call, love. I promise I’ll call,” he said, the words almost a struggle as he fought to control his breathing. “I love you.”

They sat holding each other a little longer before separating so Seth could finally change out of his ring gear. Once he’d packed everything back up he texted his brother to let him know he was ready. Then they both grabbed their bags and headed out of the arena.

Seth walked Finn to his SUV, helping him load his luggage into the back before wrapping his arms around him again. “Be careful,” he breathed into Finn’s neck.

Finn moved back, placing his hands on Seth’s cheeks to gently pull him down into a kiss. The kiss was deep, desperate, filled with goodbyes and fears and so many other words and thoughts that neither of them had the energy left to express any other way. They separated as headlights started to shine on them, a horn beeping to let Seth know his ride was there. “I’ll see you Wednesday,” Finn responded, wiping a final tear from Seth’s cheek before letting him go completely. “I love you,” he called again as he watched Seth walk the short distance to the waiting vehicle.

Seth put his bag in the trunk and opened the passenger door, turning before getting in as Finn started to get into his own car. “I love you, too,” he replied, the two men sharing a last sad smile before it was time for the both of them to go.

\-----

Finn had been driving for a little over two hours at that point. The coffee sitting in the cup holder had started to get cold, and he began looking for a rest area to get a fresh cup and stretch his legs a bit. His eyelids were heavy but he was surprisingly awake, though his eyes still burned from the sentiments of earlier and his body ached with the usual post-match exhaustion. He was, as he’d expected, almost grateful to be alone for the drive. His mind might not have been the best place to spend time at that moment, but at least he didn’t have to fake happy or pretend that he was engaged in whatever pointless conversation would have been happening if he’d been riding with someone else.

As he pulled off the highway and began to head towards a gas station, the SUV’s center panel lit up to alert him of a new text message. He frowned in confusion, wondering who on earth would be texting him at that hour, and he quickly hit the button to have the car’s voice commands read the message to him as he navigated the parking lot he’d just entered.

_“New text message from Seth Rollins: I love you.”_

Finn pulled into a parking spot, turned the engine off, and sat there for a second while his body tried to decide whether it wanted to smile or cry at the unexpected message. So, he did both. And as he wiped his sore eyes again he reached for his phone, the smile on his face genuine despite the tears as he sent back a simple reply.

_“I love you, too.”_


	6. Monday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Monday after the Moline show isn't exactly great for Finn or Seth. But they try to make the best of their circumstances.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mapped out my ideas for the last couple of chapters to this story immediately after the episodes of tv they take place during, well before they announced who was in the MITB ladder match, so there are some references to that show here that might seem a little weird with how things actually played out. I decided to keep things as planned to fit the story, instead of changing it to fit the actual card for the PPV (partially because I would very much like to pretend the end to that ladder match never happened, thank you very much).

Finn had been sitting in catering halfheartedly picking at a piece of chicken breast for roughly half an hour. He knew he needed to get it down quickly to avoid eating too close to his match and making himself sick, but the thought of ingesting anything at all made his stomach turn. He forced another small bite down as Seth’s words from the previous day echoed in his head. _“Promise me you’ll eat something before your match, okay? I don’t want to see you pass out in the ring.”_ Finn knew Seth was right. He’d made that mistake before, and he never wanted to see the look of fear that crossed Seth’s face when he collapsed in the locker room after his match ever again. Then again, it’s not like Seth was going to be there to see it if anything _did_ happen.

Sighing, he put his fork down and shoved the plate away. He’d managed to fight through it and eat a decent amount the day before, but it seemed like a futile effort this time. He glanced down at the food, and after deciding he’d eaten enough to hold him over he put his elbows on the table and rested his head in his hands.

“Hey, Finn,” he heard from behind as a hand clapped his shoulder, and he looked up to see Roman pulling up a chair next to him. Roman looked him over as he sat down, and his eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke again. “You look like shit, dude. You okay?”

Finn huffed. “I appreciate the honesty,” he replied sarcastically. He rubbed his hands over his face before leaning back in his chair. “I’m alright. Didn’t sleep much.” His words were punctuated with a yawn, and he again rubbed his face to wake himself up a bit more.

Roman reached back to fix the bun his dark hair was in. “What time did you get in?”

“Uh… 5:45, I think?” Finn conveniently neglected to mention that he spoke to Seth on the phone for an hour after that once he’d checked into his hotel.

Roman let out a low whistle, shaking his head. “Damn, uce. No wonder you look like death.”

Finn gave a small laugh as movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned and looked over towards the doorway, confusion filling his exhausted mind when he saw Andrade walking in. “What’s he doing here?” Finn questioned. Andrade had been moved to Raw in the shake-up, and had given Finn a damn good match in what ended up being his last on the brand.

Roman’s eyebrows raised. “You haven’t heard?” Roman continued after Finn shook his head. “They moved him back to Smackdown over the weekend. Sent Cesaro to Raw in his place.”

Finn turned to look at Roman. “What? Why?” he asked in disbelief. Roman didn’t respond, simply looking down at the table instead, and Finn began to put the pieces together. “It’s because of Charlotte, isn’t it? He’s here because of Charlotte.”

Roman still didn’t say anything. He looked up and gave Finn a sad smile, confirming his words.

Finn’s blood began to boil. “I need to go,” he spat, shoving back from the table and grabbing his trash as he stood up. “I’ll talk to you later.” He dumped his plate into the garbage and stormed off to his locker room.

He slammed the door behind him and then turned and leaned on it. He took a deep breath and held it, trying to calm himself before he put his fist through the wall. He was livid. He’d been with Seth for over two years, and as far as he knew they’d done nothing to upset the higher-ups. Why didn’t their relationship get the same courtesy that Charlotte and Andrade’s did?

His anger dissipated as he continued taking deep breaths, fading gradually into a dull, sadly familiar, hurt. Deep down, he knew. He knew exactly why. Charlotte Flair and Andrade were a publicly known couple. Posting pictures together, walking the red carpet at the Hall of Fame together, not hiding the puppy love that comes with a new relationship. Something that he and Seth couldn’t do, at least not at that point in their careers. After the push-back he received from corporate when he first pitched the Bálor Club pride shirt and the company’s on-going deal with Saudi Arabia, he knew better.

With one more deep breath and another sigh, he shoved himself away from the door to start getting ready for his match.

\-----

Seth slammed the car door shut behind him before leaning forward and resting his head on the steering wheel. That wasn’t how he wanted his first real night as the top guy on the brand to go. And while he couldn’t exactly call it a bad night, he couldn’t help being a little upset. He couldn’t get out of that building fast enough.

He let out a breath and pulled himself together, turning on the car and heading out of the arena. Once he’d gotten to the highway, he immediately grabbed for his phone.

_“Hi love.”_

Seth smiled as soon as he heard Finn’s voice. “Hey, babe.” He sighed, hoping Finn didn’t hear it over the phone. It wasn’t as if they hadn’t traveled separately before – most recently when Finn went to Abu Dhabi while Seth was off the road due to a back injury, and Seth’s last trip to Saudi Arabia while Finn went home to Ireland before that – but this was different. It _felt_ different, awkward and uncomfortable and oddly final, and Seth hated it. But at least they could do this. “You on the road yet?”

_“Yeah, been about a half hour. Currently in the middle of bumfuck nowhere.”_

Seth laughed. “Just hitting the road myself,” he replied. “How was your match tonight?” he continued. The question felt foreign to him, it felt strange for him to be asking instead of having watched it in the arena.

_“Good, took on Ali. Was a fun one.”_

Seth smiled again. Finn had mentioned he’d enjoyed being in the ring with Mustafa Ali at his first Smackdown. He was glad they got to go at it again so soon.

_“How was yours?”_

Seth snorted. “What match?” he muttered, his hands gripping the steering wheel a little more tightly as a touch of his frustration from earlier seeped back into his voice.

_“What?”_

“I didn’t have a match,” he explained, his voice faltering a little.

_“Wait, seriously? They didn’t give you a match in Des Moines?”_

“Nope.” Seth sighed again. “They went with a number one contender’s tournament instead.”

_“That’s bullshit. I’m sorry, love.”_

The loving tone in Finn’s voice comforted Seth a little. “Yeah. So now I’ve got AJ at Money in the Bank.” He went quiet for a second as he merged lanes. “I was hoping they’d save that match for Summerslam,” he admitted quietly.

There was a moment of silence on the other end before Finn responded. _“At least you get to defend your title on the pay per view.”_

Seth noticed how small Finn’s voice sounded. It broke his heart. “Come on, babe. You’re the Intercontinental Champion,” he reminded him, the pride he felt for his love holding that title filling his words. “They have to give you a match on the card.” He hated that the inconsistent – and, in his biased opinion, utterly terrible – booking Finn had been saddled with the past couple of years had rattled him to the point that he didn’t think he’d get booked on one of the bigger shows of the year despite being a champion. And he hated even more that he couldn’t be there in person to reassure him.

_“Fastlane would like a word.”_

“Alright, you have a point,” he conceded, a bit of guilt trying to sneak into Seth's mind. Despite Finn’s protests since, he still felt a bit responsible for the planned Intercontinental title defense being shoved off the Fastlane card so Bobby Lashley could be in the Shield match. “But come on. They’ve always made sure you’re on the big shows. They wouldn’t do that to you.”

Finn only hummed in response before not-so-discreetly changing the subject. The two of them talked about everything and anything, sharing stories from the day at work and complaints about how exhausted they both were ( _“I warned you when you told me to call you.”_ “Not like I was able to sleep without you, anyway.” … _“I love you.”_ ), continuing until both men had made it to their destinations.

Seth dumped his bags by the door as he entered his home, closing the door behind him and throwing his keys on the table. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a beer, leaning back against the counter as he took a drink. The wheels of his mind were turning, an idea starting to form, and as he continued to down the beverage a small warmth started to replace the loneliness he’d felt when he’d come back to the house by himself.

He took his phone out of his pocket, scrolling down his messages until he found his thread with Roman. He fired off a quick text, then finished the rest of his beer and headed towards the bedroom to get some much-needed sleep.

_Hey uce. Call me when you get up tomorrow. I have an idea but I think I’ll need your help to pull it off._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be one last chapter to this, but I'm somewhat unexpectedly moving in two weeks so I'm not totally sure when I'll be able to get it written and posted. Hopefully it won't take too long, but I want to thank everyone who has been reading this for your patience in advance.


	7. Tuesday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn heads to Nebraska for Smackdown, and has to deal with an overload of emotions, unexpected silence, and a few surprises before the day ends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to post, I had a harder time than I expected getting settled after my move. Thank you all for your patience!

Finn groaned as he felt the sunlight peaking through the curtains of his hotel room slowly start to hit his face. He hadn’t been asleep, per say, but resting in that vague twilight state between sleep and waking and the gradual intrusion wasn’t welcome. He rolled over and buried his head in his pillow, but the attempt to get back to a more peaceful state was in vain. He reached his arm out towards the other side of the bed, more out of habit than anything else, and was momentarily startled when his hand found nothing but sheets.

 _Oh, right. He’s not here._  Finn sighed as he withdrew his arm and curled up into himself. It had only been a couple of days, but at that moment he wasn’t sure he would ever get used to waking up before a show without Seth by his side. Despite laying down in the center he’d woken up each morning on his usual side of the bed, instinctively making room for his partner despite knowing he wasn’t there. In Sioux City the previous morning he’d woken up in a panic a couple of hours after finally falling asleep – momentarily forgetting Seth was in Davenport – and terrified for a split second that something had happened to him. He was thankful to not have woken up that way this morning, but his few hours of sleep had been difficult and full of uneasy dreams, his hidden fears and worries about the younger man floating their way to the surface in his absence as they did any time the two spent a previously rare night apart. He knew deep down that it would continue to be that way for a while.

He forced his eyes open and glanced at the clock on the bedside table. His alarm wasn’t set to go off for another three hours, but he knew at that point it was useless to try and get back to sleep. Finn sat up and stretched then slowly swung his legs over the edge of the bed, cataloging each ache and pain from the previous night’s match as he got out of bed so he could remember to rub some ointment on them. Trying to stick to what he knew as routine. He shuffled over to the small coffeemaker and started a pot, the smell of the brewing liquid providing both a familiar comfort and a pang of loneliness. As he waited for it to finish he sat back down on the bed and grabbed his phone to turn off the alarm. He was caught off-guard by the missed text notification on his lock screen.

_Good morning. I love you._

Finn grinned, feeling his heart swell as he read the message from Seth a few times. The grin faded to a frown as he finally took notice of what time the message had been sent.  _Something must be wrong,_  he thought as alarm bells began to sound in his mind.  _Seth never wakes up that early._

Finn quickly typed a response, telling Seth he loved him and asking why he was awake at that hour. Then he got up and poured himself a cup of the cheap coffee the room had to offer and began getting ready to head down to the hotel’s gym for a quick workout. He left his phone in his room, wanting the quiet and not wanting to be bothered by anyone other than Seth. The gym was thankfully dead so early in the morning, and he made the best of the limited equipment they had by taking his pent-up emotion out on the weight machines.

When he returned to his room about an hour later the first thing he did was grab his phone. His stomach sank as he saw there’d been no reply.

*****

As he entered the arena for that night’s Smackdown, there was a moment where Finn debated just leaving his sunglasses on. He knew he looked like Hell. And he really wasn’t in the mood to answer anyone’s questions about it. But, he knew leaving them on would bring even more attention to himself that he really didn’t want, so he removed them and hung them from his collar, choosing to keep his head down instead and pulled the brim of his cap as far as it would go to try and hide himself as he made his way to his locker room.

He still hadn’t gotten any reply from Seth, and the worry that he’d felt earlier was slowly growing to full-blown panic. He attempted to justify the silence, telling himself everything from _“Maybe he’d gone for a workout without his phone like I did”_ and _“He might be at the school or the shop for business”_ , but every time he did the other side of his brain responded in kind, erasing any chance of placating his concern.

Finn had thought maybe he’d overreacted to the news he was moving to Smackdown. He couldn’t control it in the moment, but after the night spent crying into Seth’s arms he’d woken up no less upset but a little more at ease – the way Seth had held him and comforted him erasing some of his initial concerns. But the overwhelming crush of emotions he’d felt after the show in Moline, the underlying guilt he couldn’t help feeling at the thought that his push and championship win was the cause of their being split up, and now the lack of communication from Seth after only two days of truly being on separate brands made all of those fears race back to the front of his mind.

As he began to get his gear and everything set-up for the night, he paused and took his phone out of his pocket. He felt his stomach tighten at the lack of notifications and opened his text app almost on autopilot.

_Is everything alright? I miss you already._

He stared at the screen for a moment, almost desperately, hoping to see the little icon pop up to indicate Seth was typing a response. Nothing.

He sighed, sending one more message before shoving his phone back in his pocket and heading out to find out if that night’s script was ready yet.

_I love you._

*****

He needed to get ready for his match. His spot on the card had bounced around three or four times so far, even though the match itself hadn’t changed, and in the back of his mind he knew he should be ready to go before the show went live just in case they moved him back to the first slot again. But he couldn’t bring himself to go back to his locker room. So, Finn continued to sit, hiding in the shadows in the stands while others ran through their matches in the ring, wanting to be alone without wanting to be _alone_.

He and Andrade had already gone through their spots, and he found himself watching with narrowed eyes as Andrade leaned on the apron and observed Charlotte going through hers. He needed to let it go. He knew the way things had played out wasn’t their fault. None of it was. _It’s mine…_ he shook that thought out of his mind as quickly as it entered. Wallowing in self-pity wasn’t going to help things any, and feeling contempt for Andrade wasn’t going to magically make Seth answer his damn texts.

Besides, he genuinely enjoyed working with Andrade. They’d known each other for years, having worked together in both Mexico and Japan. That comfort level allowed them to show off a little more than they would usually get to, the restrictions they usually had to deal with in the ring a little looser than normal. He knew the match would be good, and he didn’t want his misguided anger and crappy mood to take the fun out of it for either man.

Finn finally shoved himself out of his seat and started making his way towards the back. He impulsively checked his phone again on the way down the stairs, knowing he wouldn’t find anything, forcing himself to swallow the lump in his throat that threatened to come to the surface.á

It had been 10 hours since Seth had sent that last message.

His grasp on rational thought was starting to disappear, his initial worry turning into almost full-blown panic that something had happened to his lover. A fake smile plastered itself over his face as he got to ringside and had to navigate around his coworkers and friends. He’d gotten way too good at hiding his emotions with a smile over the last two years, dealing with crappy booking and frustrations with creative by grinning like an idiot when the cameras were on. No one ever seemed to notice the smile didn’t reach his eyes. No one but Seth, that is.

He grinned his way through hellos, handshakes and hi-fives, finally getting up the ramp and into gorilla. His smile dropped and he began to make a beeline for his locker room.

“Hey, Bálor!”

Triple H’s voice caused Finn to stop in his tracks. He spun around, aware that he probably looked like a deer caught in the headlights, and found himself almost face to face with his boss as he walked towards him.

Hunter raised his arms in apology, a small smile on his face. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.” He stopped only a foot or two away, the smile fading a bit as he did so. “I need to talk to you, do you have a second?”

The tiny bit of Finn’s heart that was still afloat after the past few days sank. “Sure,” he replied, somehow managing to keep his voice even as his brain racked itself for anything he could have done that might have pissed off management. He hadn’t done anything wrong… had he?

*****

Finn groaned as he slid off the trainers table and grabbed his title belt. The match had been fun but a bit stiff, and management had insisted he get checked out as a precaution. He was fine, by wrestling standards anyway, but still found an ice pack shoved into his hands for his neck.

At least he’d gotten his win from last week’s Raw back, but he was already sick of non-title matches. He’d secretly been hoping he’d get the same kind of run that Seth had with the Intercontinental Championship the previous year, open challenges and showcase defenses, a chance to really let fans (and the brass) know how good he really was after getting shoved to the side for so long. While this reign had been better than the joke that made up his first stint with the title, the fact that he’d only defended it on TV once made him nervous.

He sighed as he shuffled his way to his locker room. He didn’t need to add that to the list of things weighing on his mind, it was heavy enough as it was. He knew he probably needed the quiet, but as he got to his room and opened the door, all he really wanted was…

“Great match tonight.”

Finn froze as the door swung the rest of the way open, staring in disbelief at the pair of loving doe eyes and the goofy grin that was waiting for him in his locker room. “Seth?” he questioned, seriously wondering if the stress was starting to screw with his head.

The other man’s grin morphed to a warm, gentle smile. “Hey, babe,” Seth replied softly.

Finn dropped the ice and belt and ran at his boyfriend, throwing himself into his arms with so much force he almost tackled him. “Oh, love,” he muttered into Seth’s shoulder, the tears he’d been fighting all day spilling out as he melted into the tight embrace. “What are you… how…” he tried to ask but he couldn’t get the words out, too many emotions choking out the words before they could leave his throat.

Seth pulled Finn in as tightly as he could, relishing the feeling of having the toned body pressed against his own for the first time in a couple days. “I know I worried you. Sorry for the radio silence,” he said quietly, placing a gentle kiss to Finn’s temple. “I didn’t trust myself not to ruin the surprise. I just couldn’t let you make that drive home tomorrow alone.” He felt Finn squirm a little in his arms, a head bury itself in his shoulder, wetness spreading in his shirt. He rubbed his lover’s back, ignoring the little bit of sweat that still lingered on the pale skin. “I love you so much,” he finished.

Finn couldn’t speak. He closed his eyes and leaned further into Seth’s arms, breathing in his scent, a part of him still not completely convinced it was real. He was vaguely aware that they had started moving, and he whimpered as Seth let him go and gently sat him down on one of the benches in the room. He watched the younger man walk over and close the door, locking it behind him before he walked back over to where Finn sat. He grabbed hold of Seth again as soon as the man sat down beside him. Seth kissed his cheek and pulled him up onto his lap, and Finn allowed himself to curl up and relax in the comfort of the larger man’s body.

“No house shows this week,” Seth murmured, resting his chin lightly on the older man’s head. “Neither of us have anywhere to be until next Monday.” The iron grip Finn had on the back of his shirt lessened slightly as Seth spoke, like he was realizing Seth really was there and wasn’t going anywhere, and Seth sniffled softly as he tried to keep his own emotions under control. He could deal with his own feelings later, his only priority right then was trying to sooth his boyfriend. “We have all week to cuddle, kiss, and… other things,” he started, and Finn huffed a small laugh at his awkward phrasing. “And come up with a plan for how we’re going to make this work. We have all week together.”

Finn straightened out and pulled back a little, wiping his eyes quickly before looking down into Seth’s eyes. “And Europe,” he whispered.

“And… what, wait?” Seth’s eyebrows shot up in surprise as he looked up at Finn, watching the huge grin spread across the Irishman’s face.

Finn moved his hands to cup Seth’s cheeks. “Hunter pulled me aside earlier to give me the news. They didn’t want to mess with the booking for the tour, so I’m working the Raw dates in Europe.”

Seth’s breath caught in his throat for a second. “Belfast?” he finally croaked out, and he thought Finn’s face was going to split in half with how big his smile got.

The Irishman nodded, leaning down to rest his forehead on Seth’s. “Come home with me, love.”

Seth grabbed Finn by the back of the head and pulled him down into a kiss. It was rough, desperate, teeth and tongue and so many feelings mixing together. Finn’s hand moved from his face and tangled itself in Seth’s hair, a small shock of pain running through his scalp as Finn pulled, but in that moment, nothing had ever felt better to Seth. “God, I love you so much,” Seth repeated when they finally broke for air.

Finn looked into Seth’s eyes, searching but he wasn’t sure for what. What he found was a look of pure, unadulterated love. “I love you, too,” he breathed as he leaned back in for another kiss. “I love you.”

They had a lot to talk about, Finn knew. A lot to work out and work through, a lot to plan and consider, and he knew the first few weeks wouldn’t be easy. But in that moment, sitting there on Seth’s lap and in Seth’s arms, he felt at peace for the first time since he got the news in Montreal. He knew that whatever this company, this world, this life threw at them, that they were going to go through it together.

He knew they were going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the first time in years that an idea came to me so easily, and so clearly, that I was excited when I realized it would be a multi-chapter work. Thank you all so much for reading, I hope you liked it!


End file.
